nam2013
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Post by nam2013 on Jan 1, 2019 4:35:39 GMT -6
We want to book our us trip in the coming month & I need your help and advise. So to get you up to speed; - We’re looking into flying in to Washington DC and fly out of Boston (duh). Complete trip will be about 5 weeks. - We’re want camp (both fun and financially) but are looking for a place to stay in both big cities. Ideally with at least one separate room, we don’t mind sleeping on a sofa bed. Any thoughts on neighborhoods? Or maybe even a specific place? - To keep the kids and ourselves sane, we want to stay at least 3-4 nights at each site and don’t want to have much more than a 3-4hour drive in between sites. - We want to hit Gettysburg, Cooperstown, costal Maine, we know a lot of other interesting sites, but basically everything else is optional. Give me all must see/do/tips etc!!! ETA when it comes to campgrounds, we’re less is more people. When it was just the two of us we did the National/state parks. With the kids I want at least a toilet & shower. Availability to swim is nice  . |
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guster
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Post by guster on Jan 1, 2019 7:36:10 GMT -6
Are you looking for air bnb or hotels?
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nam2013
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Post by nam2013 on Jan 1, 2019 7:38:44 GMT -6
Are you looking for air bnb or hotels? Either is fine, whichever one is suitable for us and the kids and most affordable 😉. |
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tallb
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Post by tallb on Jan 1, 2019 7:44:43 GMT -6
Exciting! I can help with the DC portion and hope we can meet up while here.
Do you plan to use public transportation in the cities? That kind of dictates where a good spot to stay might be.
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nam2013
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Post by nam2013 on Jan 1, 2019 7:47:37 GMT -6
Exciting! I can help with the DC portion and hope we can meet up while here. Do you plan to use public transportation in the cities? That kind of dictates where a good spot to stay might be. Yes we are. We want to visit a few of the Smithsonian museums, in an ideal world we’d walk to things and have a park nearby. ETA and hopefully we can arrange a meet up! |
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tallb
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Post by tallb on Jan 1, 2019 7:56:52 GMT -6
Exciting! I can help with the DC portion and hope we can meet up while here. Do you plan to use public transportation in the cities? That kind of dictates where a good spot to stay might be. Yes we are. We want to visit a few of the Smithsonian museums, in an ideal world we’d walk to things and have a park nearby. ETA and hopefully we can arrange a meet up! Makes sense! I honestly don't look for hotels around here much but I suspect they are pricey. If striking out in the city, some suburbs to check out that are close to metro are in Arlington - Clarendon, courthouse, Rosslyn. Or in MD I'd do walkable to Bethesda, friendship heights, silver spring. These areas all have walkable areas to their own but also metro access to the city. Happy to vet any locations for you! |
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Post by flamingo on Jan 1, 2019 8:05:20 GMT -6
Let me know if you’d like info on our area of Maine, happy to help! My family’s home is in Camden (right by Rockport/Rockland). There are a couple good camp grounds in that area I’m familiar with and of course Acadia Nat’l Park is a couple hours away. Lots to see and do in downeast Maine.
Would love to see you if our time there overlaps!
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wedding
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Post by wedding on Jan 1, 2019 8:09:36 GMT -6
No Rhode Island? That’s ok, I’ll drive to Boston to find you. I’ll look up some hotels later to get you some good places. It will be pricey.
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nam2013
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Post by nam2013 on Jan 1, 2019 8:14:49 GMT -6
Let me know if you’d like info on our area of Maine, happy to help! My family’s home is in Camden (right by Rockport/Rockland). There are a couple good camp grounds in that area I’m familiar with and of course Acadia Nat’l Park is a couple hours away. Lots to see and do in downeast Maine. Would love to see you if our time there overlaps! We’re for sure going there, if only to visit the lobster shack near lobster buoy campground and the fabulous cafe/toystore in Rockland! If you know good campgrounds please let me know! |
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nam2013
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Post by nam2013 on Jan 1, 2019 8:18:49 GMT -6
No Rhode Island? That’s ok, I’ll drive to Boston to find you. I’ll look up some hotels later to get you some good places. It will be pricey. I know 😳. I think we might hit Rhode Island! We’ve done New England twice and know a few things there, but we’re hitting a blank with the Virginia area, so depending on what we want to see there, we’ll decide which things to visit again . |
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wedding
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Post by wedding on Jan 1, 2019 9:51:14 GMT -6
It’s hard to find a one bedroom hotel in Boston proper. A lot are near the airport or in sketchy locations. Here are a couple I found
Holiday in express and suites- west end
Residence Inn Boston Harborside
Residence Inn Back Bay
It may be worthwhile looking at airbnb for an apartment to stay at.
For locations I would say Boston Downtown, Backbay, or waterfront. Cambridge right around Harvard Square. Last time we went we stayed at a Doubletree in Cambridge but it sucked so I don’t recommend. If you go the Airbnb route I would look into South send, Jamaica Plain (where I used to live. You would love it there!), or Brookline. Basically you just want to be near a train line.
If you find a hotel you like, let me know and I can give you the scoop on the neighborhood.
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wedding
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Post by wedding on Jan 1, 2019 9:53:09 GMT -6
No Rhode Island? That’s ok, I’ll drive to Boston to find you. I’ll look up some hotels later to get you some good places. It will be pricey. I know 😳. I think we might hit Rhode Island! We’ve done New England twice and know a few things there, but we’re hitting a blank with the Virginia area, so depending on what we want to see there, we’ll decide which things to visit again . I loved Virginia Beach as a kid. We lived there for a few years. In RI we have really good seafood, Providence is cute but not a ton to do, Newport and Narragansett are lovely to walk around, drive by fancy houses, and hit the beach. |
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nam2013
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Post by nam2013 on Jan 1, 2019 10:06:20 GMT -6
wedding thanks! I loooove seafood , give me all the clams and lobster. We went to the Newport folk festival 3 years ago, it was amazing!
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nam2013
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Post by nam2013 on Jan 1, 2019 10:08:33 GMT -6
Oh and I want to see for I can fit in some Gilmore girls locations... buries head in shame, but still.
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lfig
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Post by lfig on Jan 1, 2019 10:09:21 GMT -6
Do you plan to visit many National Parks (or Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service locations) on your trip? If you do, you might check into the America The Beautiful Annual Pass. It’s $80 but It can help significantly with entrance fees to parks. It basically covers the entrance fees for you and your family which at some parks are quite pricy. So it pays for itself pretty quick if you plan to visit several parks. You can buy it online if you are interested or at the first park you visit. Here’s a link for more info if you’re interested...the Annual is the only one you’d be able to get because the others require you to be a US citizen. www.recreation.gov/pass/atb |
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nam2013
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Post by nam2013 on Jan 1, 2019 10:18:09 GMT -6
lfig not sure yet. We had the pass when we did the west coast and it saved us a ton. Last time we only did Acadia National Park, so it was cheaper to get a weekly pass for just that park. I love the 4th grade pass, why only the 4th grade? I’m sure there’s an explanation, but for an outsider it feels so random 😉.
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Post by xolastunicornxo on Jan 1, 2019 10:23:22 GMT -6
I’m sorry.... I don’t see Arizona on the itinerary? Please rectify.
Honestly though, that sounds super fun.
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guster
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Post by guster on Jan 1, 2019 10:34:45 GMT -6
Oh and I want to see for I can fit in some Gilmore girls locations... buries head in shame, but still. A town 15 minutes for me had a Gilmore girls festival this past fall. I just checked and I don’t see anything scheduled for 2019 yet, but I can keep you informed. Also, the town that has the most similarities to gg is about 25 minutes from me. I’d be happy to talk to you about it, and of course, meet up with you! |
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nam2013
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Post by nam2013 on Jan 1, 2019 10:39:31 GMT -6
I’m sorry.... I don’t see Arizona on the itinerary? Please rectify. Honestly though, that sounds super fun. Aw I’m sorry!!! |
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nam2013
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Post by nam2013 on Jan 1, 2019 10:39:51 GMT -6
Oh and I want to see for I can fit in some Gilmore girls locations... buries head in shame, but still. A town 15 minutes for me had a Gilmore girls festival this past fall. I just checked and I don’t see anything scheduled for 2019 yet, but I can keep you informed. Also, the town that has the most similarities to gg is about 25 minutes from me. I’d be happy to talk to you about it, and of course, meet up with you! That sounds so fun! |
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Post by flamingo on Jan 1, 2019 12:17:29 GMT -6
nam2013 re: Virginia Beach, I guess if you really want to get to the beach...but the areas around the beach are kind of touristy/schlocky. I personally wouldn’t go out of my way to come here, if that makes sense? But I’m spoiled by beaches further south. If you want to come to this part of VA I’d be more inclined to do Williamsburg, which is really pretty and of course has the Colonial area, etc.
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nam2013
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Post by nam2013 on Jan 1, 2019 13:01:24 GMT -6
flamingo thanks good to know! I’m more in to quaint places than say old orchard beach, my system can’t handle that or something😜.
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Post by flamingo on Jan 1, 2019 13:19:57 GMT -6
flamingo thanks good to know! I’m more in to quaint places than say old orchard beach, my system can’t handle that or something😜. I gotcha. We tend to avoid the beach/"oceanfront" (as it's called here) at all costs. Tacky souvenir shops, tattoo parlors, high-rise hotels, and just a lot of mess. It's not one of the quaint, picturesque beach towns you see elsewhere. |
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chrisy01
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Post by chrisy01 on Jan 1, 2019 15:57:30 GMT -6
West coasters feel left out.
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yummeecookee
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Post by yummeecookee on Jan 1, 2019 17:15:57 GMT -6
Exciting! I can help with the DC portion and hope we can meet up while here. Do you plan to use public transportation in the cities? That kind of dictates where a good spot to stay might be. Count me in on this meetup! |
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tallb
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Post by tallb on Jan 1, 2019 18:49:54 GMT -6
nam2013 re: Virginia Beach, I guess if you really want to get to the beach...but the areas around the beach are kind of touristy/schlocky. I personally wouldn’t go out of my way to come here, if that makes sense? But I’m spoiled by beaches further south. If you want to come to this part of VA I’d be more inclined to do Williamsburg, which is really pretty and of course has the Colonial area, etc. +1 if you are into history, then Williamsburg is great. I'd pass on VA beach. I'd say NC beaches or go for something en route north, either a Delaware, NJ, or something in New England. Annapolis is a cute town 45 min from DC that walkable and on the water if any interest in that. |
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Post by flamingo on Jan 1, 2019 18:57:36 GMT -6
Oh, and what about Newport, Rhode Island? Not sure about camping options there but it is so pretty in the summertime. The "cottages" (mansions) are worth seeing, for sure. Maybe it could be a good day trip or pit stop from a larger area nearby if you don't want to spend several days there.
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Post by snoopmommymom on Jan 1, 2019 20:18:56 GMT -6
If you need a bathroom break near the NY/NJ border, I’m right off 287. 😁
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nam2013
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Post by nam2013 on Jan 20, 2019 2:56:42 GMT -6
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nam2013
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Post by nam2013 on Jan 20, 2019 2:58:42 GMT -6
Last time we went to the states we made an in store pick up order @ Walmart for some camping gear. This time we want to buy a relatively affordable tent & gear too. I want to be able to stand up in the tent, if you girls have recommendations that would be great!
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